Metal can



`latentetl 14, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

:NENAS il?. FCH, 0F MILLBUBN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO 'JEHERMOKEPT CRPOM- 111051, OF NEW YGRK, N'. Y., .A CORPORATIGN OF DELAWARE.

METAL CAN.

Application filed January 9, 1924. Serial No. 6535,100.

'lhis invention relates lnore particularly to vacuum sealed cans, and has for its yobject the production of a sealed, and preferably a vacuum sealed, can which is provided al with means for quickly opening said can lill 'tti

and thereby converting the sealed can into `a can provided with a hinged cover.

f1 further object includes the production of a can body which is provided with a weakened area, and with means whereby, when said weakened area is removed, the can is changed from a closed can unit into an open can having a hinged cover attached thereto. y

Another object includes the provision of a hinged collar which is readily fastened into t-he can body before the can is as sembled.

A still further object includes the production of a handy pocket tobacco can, wherein the tobacco is sealed in vacuo and which can is provided with potential hinging means capable of being rendered active at any desired time by breaking the seal.

ll alsoprovide simple but eflicient means whereby said sealed' can is readily converted into an open can Ihaving the covery hinged thereto for ready use. f

@ther objects will appear hereinafter, and lf attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a can embodymg the principles of my invention..

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, showing a portion of the scored area removed to open the can.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the hinged part of the collar and associated parts.

Fig. t is a view on lines 1f-1 of Fig. B.

Fig. 5 is a view on lines y5--5 of Fig. 1, showing the seam.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view taken on lines 6 6 of Fig. 2,'looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a view of a slightly different form.

lLike numerals refer to vsimilar parts throughoutvthe several views.

t great demand exists for a simple, practical can unit which may be cheaply manufaetured and which is constructedto permit ready sealing in vacuo for preserving the sealed commodity, and wherein, by simple means, the sealed unit is converted into an open can having a hinged cover attached thereto for ready use. Primarily, my container is intended for sealing and carrying tobacco therein but obviously other com`- modities can be scaled within, and l do not therefore desire to be understood as thus limiting myself unduly. This can is preferably flattened, and of suitable size to be easily carried in pocket by the user.

As a practical embodiment of my invention, the can comprises a somewhat flattened body 10 having a scored or weakened area 11 near one end thcreof.- The body part may be stamped or cut, as is usual, and the scorings 12 and lip 13 are provided in this operation in the manner well understood in the art. When the body blank has been shaped and united at the seam 14, one 'form of which is illustrated'in Fig. 5, the end of the key tongue 13 lies folded against the can body for future use.

Within the can body I secure, by any suitable means, as by spot welding, the hinge collar member 15. This member comprises, in its simplest form, a band or strip of metal or plate tin, similar to that of which the can body is made, and is of suficient width to extend well beyond the scored area 11, for the purpose more fully stated below.

On one sideiof the flattened area, approximately midway of the curved sides, I provide a cover hinge member or fiap 16 which is hingedly connected to the collar member by hinge wings 17. The hinge member 16 is secured in any desired manner, as by spot welding 18, to the upper portion of the can body, that is, to the inner surface of that portion which is designed to become the cover 21, when the weakened area 11 is removed and the sealed can is opened. The lower' part of the collar member extends below the lower score or cut 12, and in my preferred form is fastened to the inner surface of the can body in any suitable manner, as by spot welding 19 or by soldering along the lower edge 19 of the collar, or frictionally as is indicated in Fig. 7.

1n the manufacture of my improved hinged can, l stamp out the blank which forms the can body 10 and is provided with an extension flap or key lip 13. The end of this lip. i

is not soldered or fastened so that a key 20 may be applied when the can isto-beopened.y

The hinged collar member 15 is inserted in place so that the hinge 17 is approximately on the upper score line 12. .It is then fastened in position by welding or soldering` the at 18 and in my )referred form the collar is also Welded at 19 or it is otherwise fastened to the can body. The end cap 22 is then supplied and the can is ready to be filled. Tldhen filled, 'the other end cap 23 is applied and it is vacuum scaled in the usual manner. The filled and sealed can is now ready for market, and gooes thus sealed will retain their original flavor and strength for a very long period of time.

When it is new desired to open the container, it is only necessary to apply the key 2O and remove the scored area, in the manner indicated by Fig. 2. The can will then lee supplied with a hinged cover 21 which is hinged at 17.

For convenience of manufacture, the collar may be stamped out of a piece of sheet metal and shaped by curving and abutting the ends, as shown at 24. If desired, the forward edge may be also slightly curved, as at 25, to facilitate opening and closing.

Where I employ the frictional method of fastening the collar in position, I may utilize a bead 26 near the upper edge of the container 10 for engaging the corresponding beaded portion 27 in the collar 15. An

initial beaded area 28 mayyf be provided inthe-collar to hold the same as the weakened area 11 is removed. When this area is removed,`I press down the collar 15', with the attached hingedl iaps 16 (shown in lI igs. 3 and 4) and cover 21, until bead 27 engages bead 26. The can is now ready for use, as in my preferred form, and the cover 21 fits closely on the upper edge of the can body 10. l

While I have shown and described a fiattened container and stated that the same is suitable for a pocket tobacco can, it is obvious thatsaid container may be used for other purposes, as for tea, coffee, or the like, and that it may assume other shapes to moet the needs at hand.

What I claim, therefore, as new and useful,.of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters. Patent is 1. In a vacuum sealed container, the combination of a continuous body part having a weakened part and a hinge member underlying -said weakened part to flexibly hold together the parts formed by the severing of the weakened part.

2. In a vacuumsealed container, the combination of a continuous bodypart having a scored band, a collar underlyingsaid band,

ahinge Hap connected to said collar andpermently united to a'portionofthe canfboly, and means for removing said scoredv band thereby cansino one part of the original can body to fbrm a can cover which is scorevlines setting off an encircling tearing Y T main ,J A armed by nien ber, said hinge flap being united to the cap p so red band reino.' cap is formed and l ig main body part by sind coller.

1. In a vacuum sealed container een. body comprising a main body f rr'l f r p forming part separated by a weakened part, a inhiber underlying said weakened part overlapping the main body part and the cap part, and a hinge member uniting the colla-r member and the cap member, whereby when the weakened part is severed to open the container, a cap part will be formed from the can body and hingedly united to the main body part.

5. In a vacuum sealed container, a can body comprising a main body part and a cap part with a weakened part dividing said mainbody part and said cap part, a collar member underlying said weakened part and extending into the main body part and into the cap part, a hinge member uniting the collar member and the cap part, whereby when the weakened yarea is severed to open the container the cap part will be hingedly united to the collar member, and means for securing said collar to the main body part.

6. In a container, a can body comprising a main body art, a ca part and a scored part intermediate said body part and said cap part, a collar member underlying said scored part and a hinged flap uniting said collar member and said cap part, whereby when said scored part is severed the cap part is hingedly united to the collar member.

7. A combined hermetic and hinged closure container, comprising a body having score lines setting oli an encircling tearing strip, and a collar member disposed within said body and extending across said tearing strip, the ortion of the body above the tearing strip eing hinged directly to said collar and forming a hinged closure for use after the tearing strip is removed.

8. A combined hermetic and hinged closure container, comprising a body having score lines setting olf an encirclingtearing strip, and a collar member disposed within said body and extending across said tearing strip, said body and said collar having integral parts hinged together to provide a hinged reclosure after the tearing strip is removed.

9. A combined hermetic and hinged closure container, comprising a body having hernia non t l v strip, and a collar member disposed within said body and extending across said tearing liti strip, the portion of said body above the tearing strip having integral hinge lugs termed thereon and said collar having integral cooperating lugs hinged to said body lugs whereby, upon removal of the tearing strip, the top portion of the container is converted into a hinged reclosure.

l0. A combined hermetic and hinged elosnre container, comprising a lbody having score lines setting E an encircling tearing strip -beneath the top thereof, hinge lugs termed at the top of the body blank and adapted to be bent downwardly within the container, a separat-e collar disposed within the container and having cooperating lugs hinged to said body lugs whereby the top portion of the container forms a reclosure hinged to said collar after the tearing strip is removed.

lll. A combined hermetic and hinged closure container, comprising a body having score lines setting off an encircling tearing l strip beneath the top thereof, hinge parts extending downwardly within the container, a separate collar member disposed within said body, hinge arts bent from the body of said collar member and cooperating with said downwardly extending hinge parts to provide a hinge upon which the top part; of the container may be opened and closed after the tearing strip is removed.

l2. The process of making combined hermetic and hinged closureI containers which consists in forming the container body with a hinge part extending downwardly therein from the to and with encircling score lines setting ofp a tearing strip beneath the top, forming an interior collar member` with a hinge part dependin therefrom, inserting said collar Vin said bo y in such manner as to eiect engagement of said hinge parts, and to arrange the collar inwardly from. the score lines, and later applying a hermetic closure.

In testimon whereof I have hereunto set my hand on t is 5th day of January, A. D.,

N EILS P. BACH. 

